After more than 60 years serving up magic and memories at The Happiest Place on Earth, Carnation Café chef Oscar Martinez retired on September 27. Oscar began working at Disneyland on December 29, 1956 – a year after the park opened. Oscar originally worked as a busboy and later a grill cook in Fantasyland quick-service locations that sold hamburgers, hot dogs and chili. Moving to Carnation Café in 1967, Oscar has been a staple on Main Street, U.S.A., making famous his recipe for breakfast potatoes.

Fall has returned to the Walt Disney World Resort and with it, a guest-favorite seasonal event – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party . Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is an after-hours ticketed event that takes place at Magic Kingdom Park from 7 p.m. to midnight. Just as the sun sets, the park is transformed into an unbelievable Halloween wonderland with spooky music and lighting effects, can’t-miss entertainment experiences, trick-or-treating and much more

During the next several days, Disney Parks Blog readers can find the latest Hurricane Irma-related updates on closures, cancelations and more at the Walt Disney World Resort on our special disneyworld.disney.go.com/hurricane-irma-info/ page. You can also learn about any adjustments made to Disney Cruise Line itineraries and check advisories for Disney Vacation Club members by following the links below: Walt Disney World – Hurricane Irma Update Disney Cruise Line Advisories and Itinerary Updates Disney Vacation Club – Hurricane Irma Information Also, find answers to frequently asked storm questions on our hurricane policy page . We will continue to provide updates as needed on the Disney Parks Blog.

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is back and the park is brimming with foodie fun! This year, the festival is celebrating 35 years of Epcot by showcasing international dishes at 35 delicious marketplaces, not to mention live music, culinary demonstrations and more. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival takes place daily and runs through Nov. 13. Be sure to check out Pam Brandon’s full blog post with all her recommendations for this fall

Disney PhotoPass Day is returning to Walt Disney World Resort on August 19! This year, Disney PhotoPass Service is celebrating Disney Princesses in honor of Disney’s “Dream Big, Princess” campaign . Guests will find a number of exclusive photo opportunities with Disney Princesses and other favorite characters in each of the four theme parks and Disney Springs . I recently spoke with Denise Shick, Merchandise Franchise & Brand Manager with Disney Parks Merchandise, about some of the Disney Princess-themed products guests will find for this picture perfect day. “ Disney’s ‘Dream Big, Princess’ movement continues to inspire young dreamers around the world to realize their full potential,” explained Denise.

Walt Disney World Resort roadways just got a little more fun, with the launch of a new transportation pilot called Minnie Van service. Announced earlier this month at D23 Expo 2017, this new transportation service is now available for guests staying at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort and Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts . Through a collaboration with the US’ fastest growing rideshare service, Lyft, guests at these resorts can arrange their own private Disney vehicle right from the Lyft app on their smartphone. With Minnie Van service, Disney cast members will then whisk you away to wherever you want to be at Walt Disney World Resort

This week we shared the first photos of the new Minnie Mouse -themed fleet of vans that will soon transport guests across the Walt Disney World Resort . As we learned during the D23 Expo 2017 , this new transportation service will soon allow guests at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts to arrange their own private Disney vehicle right from their smartphone. It’ll be simple to do: just arrange a Minnie vehicle and a Disney cast member will drive you anywhere at the Walt Disney World Resort.